NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Opinion
Home / Business

<i>Des Hunt:</i> Growing disquiet at overpaid CEOs is a sign reform overdue

Opinion by
25 Feb, 2007 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Des Hunt

Des Hunt

KEY POINTS:

A recent survey in the Economist devotes a dozen or so pages to an analysis of executive pay and, not surprisingly, notes that most of the public believe that top managers are paid too much and have too cosy a relationship with boards of directors.

This sentiment has
been fuelled by high-profile cases such as ex-Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli, who received a US$211 million ($298 million) payoff when he lost his job, although shares had fallen slightly during his six years in charge.

Closer to home, Institutional Shareholders Services Australia director Dean Paatsch points out that while the resource boom delivered Rio Tinto shareholders a healthy total shareholder return (TSR) of 153 per cent since 2002, CEO Leigh Clifford's salary more than quadrupled in the same period. Similarly a recent three-year period saw Macquarie Bank's TSR grow 56 per cent while CEO Alan Moss's pay jumped 203 per cent.

The latter cases would no doubt be defended by arguing that the absolute value created for shareholders far exceeded the gains of CEOs. This argument has some merit, though of course questions can always be raised about what a "fair" share for CEOs is and what should happen in cases where value has not been created? A cynic would suggest that boards are more likely to roll out arguments blaming external factors and present "independent" consultant's reports justifying their courageous CEO not suffering at the compensation trough.

Perhaps most telling is that the Economist's survey cites research showing that discomfort with executive remuneration extends well beyond the public and vocal shareholder activists. One study finds that as many as 90 per cent of institutional investors share this opinion, along with 60 per cent of company directors. The latter is a startling figure given that these are the people with, apparently, the power and responsibility to set executive earnings.

Many activists argue that this state of affairs stems largely from a widespread failure of corporate governance and suggest legislation is required. They cite numerous examples of abuse of CEO power and/or abdication of directors' duties to back their call.

However, economic liberals prefer to view the transgressions highlighted by activists as aberrations in a system that works, in the main, and argue against increased government intervention. They take the view that rocketing executive remuneration is better explained by the greater emphasis placed on equity-based rewards such as options in recent decades,combined with an extended periodof economic prosperity.

The New Zealand Shareholders Association (NZSA) believes that government intervention would be both unfortunate and ineffective. However, we do take a stronger position on director and CEO responsibility than many economic liberals and agree that reform is required.

In most cases, particularly when shareholders are seeing their own wealth increase through dividends and share price growth as in recent years, it is not actually the quantum of compensation that enrages shareholders. It is lack of disclosure and willingness to discuss openly the logic behind the executive compensation package in question that reinforces suspicion of executive largesse and board/management collusion.

Perhaps more importantly, away from the high-profile cases of profligacy, a lack of transparency on executive pay means that shareholders are often left wondering if the board really has a clearly articulated set of measures that genuinely reflect the key drivers of value for the company.

While the broad market for executive talent and the ever-present consultant's reports on pay levels can't be ignored completely, when designing a compensation package one would expect at least as much emphasis on how a company performs across a range of relevant measures, in an absolute sense and against its competitors.

Shareholders have every right to expect a board that is managing its CEO competently and diligently to have such information at its fingertips and to use and disclose it appropriately. Sadly, our experience from attending AGMs and reading annual reports in New Zealand suggests that disclosure is sorely lacking, to an extent that cannot be justified by arguments about the protection of commercially sensitive information. This can only raise activists' concerns about whether boards are really doing their job or being ridden roughshod over by the executives they are supposed to manage or, worse still, colluding with those executives at the expense of shareholders and other stakeholders.

As stated earlier, the NZSA would not like to see new laws being enacted to achieve greater transparency in the realm of executive compensation. However, unless directors, management, auditors and consultants take a lead and disclose more relevant information in a timely manner, this may be the only option open to shareholders and other interested parties (eg, trade unions with members struggling to achieve wage increases in line with inflation to keep real wages static).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Media Insider
|Updated

Is the 6pm news biased? TVNZ releases a summary of independent review findings

22 Sep 08:07 PM
Business

Inside Nvidia's bold $170b bet to power the future of AI

22 Sep 06:53 PM
Premium
Companies

Mid-sized firms split on outlook as resilience meets global pressures

22 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Building a sustainable transport future

22 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
Premium
Is the 6pm news biased? TVNZ releases a summary of independent review findings
Media Insider
|Updated

Is the 6pm news biased? TVNZ releases a summary of independent review findings

TVNZ releases 'key extracts' but not full report, in part to protect privacy of employees.

22 Sep 08:07 PM
Inside Nvidia's bold $170b bet to power the future of AI
Business

Inside Nvidia's bold $170b bet to power the future of AI

22 Sep 06:53 PM
Premium
Premium
Mid-sized firms split on outlook as resilience meets global pressures
Companies

Mid-sized firms split on outlook as resilience meets global pressures

22 Sep 05:00 PM


Building a sustainable transport future
Sponsored

Building a sustainable transport future

22 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP